Charley the Wonder Dog

Blessed to have a wonderful huge "dog compound" that we share with great neighbors, we have a little more than an acre of lawn to run our combined dogs on.

Charley, my female Zimbabwe Dimpleback (aka Rhodesian Ridgeback), who is about 9 years old, and not as spry as she used to be, LOVES to play catch with the Frisbee.


She's a real performer, especially if she gets applause for airborne catches, and astounding leaps.

Tonight we went out later than usual. Usually there's too many skeeters out to be comfortable the last half-hour before dark sets in. It was a very quiet evening in the 'hood.

After about three throws, I felt like there was someone staring at me from behind. Sort of made me feel uneasy. I threw the Frisbee, then turned to see what was behind me. I knew if it had been one of the neighbors, they would have announced themselves, or at least their own dogs would have.

Right behind me, about 20' away, were four black tail deer staring right at us. Not uncommon in this neighborhood, afterall, we sure spend a lot of green feeding them all the time (and by green, I mean roses, vegetable garden, etc.).

We've always been concerned about Charley meeting up with the deer. Our yard is not fenced, and Charley is trained off leash - at least when she wants to be, which is most of the time. Charley would just want to play. She's just dumb enough to not have a clue about hooves and deer, and that's what's always worried us.

Charley's saving grace is she's singularly focused. And I mean really, really narrowly singularly focused. As evidenced today, when she never noticed the deer. Not at all.

I was afraid to pack it in too early, once I saw the deer, because she would revolt, and might see the deer.

If I hung out and kept throwing the Frisbee, the deer might get spooked, and they'd go away.

I kept throwing, and they kept moving in closer! Slowly, right in through neighbor Dan's vegetable garden.

It started to feel like I was in a Stephen King story!

By the time I decided it was a good time to pack it in - Charley still hadn't noticed the deer - Charley headed up the hill, and I walked within three feet of the nose of one of the deer.

Another good Frisbee session in the books, and all is well on the hill!